Ring, ring, ring, it is The Black Phone slaying its opening weekend at the box office. The horror film based on the short story of the same name grabbed $23.4 million domestically and $12.4 million international, combining for $35.8 million worldwide.
The film is directed by Scott Derrickson and written by C. Robert Cargill, who collaborated on the horror film Sinister and the first Doctor Strange for Marvel Studios. In this latest collaboration, Sinister also starred Ethan Hawke, who plays the serial killer The Grabber.
Comparing The Black Phone box office and Sinister, it has performed better. The domestic opening for Sinister was $18 million and went on to get a sequel, without the duo at the helm, because of its $82.5 million worldwide lifetime gross. While this latest project has a long road to reach over $80 million, it is off to a great start.
It looks like Derrickson is cut out on making successful horror that kills at the box office, like The Black Phone. His directorial debut, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, opened at $30 million and raked in $145 million worldwide.
‘The Black Phone’ Box Office Slashes Its Opening Weekend
The film follows the kidnapping of Finney, played by Mason Thames (For All Mankind), who must try to escape from his prison with the help of the victims of Hawke’s murderer. It also stars Madeleine McGraw (Outcast), Jeremy Davies (Justified), and E. Roger Mitchell (Outer Banks). It is based on a short story by Joe Hill, an acclaimed horror author and the son of the king of horror, Stephen King.
Jason Blum, Cargill, Derrickson, and Jennifer Scudder Trent produced the horror film. Hill, Ryan Turek, and Christopher H. Warner served as executive producers.
You can contribute to making The Black Phone a bigger hit at the box office as it is in theaters right now.